Many researchers are trying to teach in the Smart Cloud Platform(SCP), but most of them either describe it on the conceptual level or realize it on the technical level. The development of the Pedagogical Interaction Model(PIM) has important educational significance and provides guidance for teaching in the emerging cloud learning environment. This…

Paul Leslie Gardner pioneered the study of student difficulties with everyday words presented in the science context (Gardner 1971); several similarly designed studies (e.g. Cassels and Johnstone 1985; Tao in "Research in Science Education," 24, 322-330, 1994; Farell and Ventura in "Language and Education," 12(4), 243-254,…

This paper further characterizes recently reviewed literature related to student learning outcome achievement in non-traditional (virtual and remote) versus traditional (hands-on) science labs, as well as factors to consider when evaluating the state and progress of research in this field as a whole. Current research is characterized according to…

First-year students often become discouraged during introductory biology courses when repeated attempts to understand concepts nevertheless result in poor test scores. This challenge is exacerbated by traditional course structures that impose premature judgments on students' achievements. Repeated testing has been shown to benefit student ability…

The purpose of this study was to test methods that strengthen the comparability claims about annual determinations of student proficiency in English language arts, math, and science (Grades 3-12) in the New Hampshire Performance Assessment of Competency Education (NH PACE) pilot project. First, we examined the literature in order to define…

Concept inventories (CI) are validated, research-based, multiple-choice tests, which are widely used to assess the effectiveness of pedagogical practices in bringing about conceptual change. In order to be a useful diagnostic tool, a CI must reflect only the student understanding of the conceptual material. The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) is…

Graphics education has been a central component in the engineering course of study. As technology advances, so have the methods in which graphics are expressed and practiced. Though the of media of graphics education have evolved, the concepts of the field remain relatively consistent. Tools are needed to measure students' comprehension,…

The purpose of this study was to examine undergraduate students majoring in science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines perception of traits an ideal mentor should possess, and to determine if these traits had positive results on their identification with science. With a large number of workers in STEM disciplines retiring, there is a…

Topic specific pedagogical content knowledge (TSPCK) is the basis by which knowledge of subject matter of a particular topic is conveyed to students. This includes students' prior knowledge, curricular saliency, what makes a topic easy or difficult to teach, representations, and teaching strategies. The goal of this study is to assess the…

This research tested a theoretical model that links (directly and indirectly) principals' characteristics--principals' information-processing mechanisms (PIPMs) and instructional leadership (IL)--with organizational learning mechanisms (OLMs), the latter with teacher characteristics (teachers' affective commitment, collective teacher efficacy,…

In the class of 2013, a record number of students earned bachelor's degrees in physics: 7,363. This is more than double the number of students doing so only 14 years earlier. Over the same time period, the total number of bachelor's degrees awarded in all disciplines was up also, but only by about 40%. The graph shows the number of…

Charles Wheatstone was a British scientist who is most often remembered for his association with the Wheatstone bridge for measuring electrical resistance. A painfully shy man in public, Wheatstone, in reality, possessed a vibrant personality and a wide array of personal interests from acoustics to electricity to optics and parlour tricks. In this…

This study investigated to what extent the implementation of a Google Earth (GE)-based earth science curriculum increased students' understanding of volcanoes, earthquakes, plate tectonics, scientific reasoning abilities, and science identity. Nine science classrooms participated in the study. In eight of the classrooms, pre- and post-assessments…

The research investigated the influence of creative style and gender on students' achievement in physics. The sample consisting one hundred (100) Senior Secondary II physics students, made up of 50 males and 50 females in Oruk Anam Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, were administered the Kirton Adaptor-Innovator Inventory (KAI),…

The case study method of teaching uses real-world narratives to teach concepts and content. This method of teaching encourages active learning, which has been shown to have a positive effect on student performance in many disciplines including science. Although more females than males pursue a postsecondary degree, more males than females pursue…